Luján, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Develop, Demonstrate, and Deploy Technologies to Accelerate Nuclear Waste Cleanup

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Combining Laboratory Expertise to Accelerate Novel Solutions for Minimizing Accumulated Radioactive Toxins (CLEAN SMART) Act, legislation that would build on the success of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship (NNLEMS) to accelerate nuclear waste cleanup. The CLEAN SMART Act would codify and properly fund NNLEMS to leverage the best available science and technology of the nation’s national labs to support DOE’s cleanup efforts.

DOE, acting through the Office of Environmental Management (EM), currently holds responsibility of finishing cleanup at 15 sites across our nation that hold nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Unfortunately, costs to decommission these remaining sites continue to grow and are estimated to near $700 billion for a completion date near the end of the century. As DOE launches the Genesis Mission to advance scientific research and innovation, the CLEAN SMART Act provides critical support by strategically integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and high-performance computing into environmental remediation. This integration is designed to revolutionize the cleanup processes at DOE sites, including at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“Across the country, our National Labs—like Sandia and Los Alamos—are home to our brightest minds who drive innovation and scientific advancement,” said Senator Luján, Founder and Co-Chair of the Senate National Labs Caucus. “As we continue to address our nation’s environmental legacy from the Manhattan Project and the Cold War, I’m proud to partner with Senator Scott to introduce the CLEAN SMART Act to leverage the expertise of our National Labs to speed up the cleanup process while saving taxpayers billions. I’ve long fought to improve the lives of those impacted by nuclear waste, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.”

“America’s national laboratories reflect the best of American innovation, including the world-class work being done at the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina,” said Senator Tim Scott. “The CLEAN SMART Act takes a bipartisan approach to harnessing that expertise to accelerate nuclear cleanup while protecting taxpayer dollars. I am proud to work with Senator Luján to deliver practical solutions and ensure these sites are cleaned up efficiently and responsibly.”

“I applaud Senators Luján and Scott for promoting the role of innovation in the cleanup and management of our defense nuclear sites. The emergence of new technologies like artificial intelligence creates significant opportunities to accelerate progress and lower costs. Unlocking this potential, however, will require the combined talent of our national laboratories working together,” said American Nuclear Society CEO Craig Piercy.

Specifically, the CLEAN SMART Act would:

• Codify and fund the Network of National Laboratories for Environmental Management and Stewardship;
• Improve interagency coordination on environmental management research, including on areas of basic research;
• Direct DOE to maintain a comprehensive technology development and deployment plan that promotes the full range of R&D options; and
• Mandate corrective actions when sites exceed cost thresholds to mitigate cost overruns, incorporating recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Full text of the bill can be found here and summary of the bill is here.

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